Recent developments in Phyllanthus emblica (amla) fruit polysaccharides: extraction, purification, nutritional values, structural characterizations and biological activities

Polysaccharides from Phyllanthus emblica (amla) fruits have become a research hotspot in natural products due to their remarkable biological activities, including antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects. Key challenges such as low extraction efficiency, unclear structural-activity relationships, and insufficient mechanistic understanding hinder their large-scale development and application. This review systematically consolidates the latest advancements in amla fruit polysaccharide research, with a focus on three critical aspects. Comparative analysis shows advanced assisted extraction methods are more efficient, cost-effective and suitable for industrial production than conventional solvent extraction. Additionally, the intrinsic correlation between structural characterizations and biological activities has been clarified, providing insights into their structural-activity relationships. Mechanistic studies reveal their therapeutic effects against colitis and metabolic disorders via multi-pathways like enzyme modulation and gene expression control. Collectively, these findings underscore the potential of amla fruit polysaccharides in functional food and pharmaceutical applications, while this review provides a theoretical foundation for their further research and industrial utilization.